Amp LLC

Jay L French

Ronald Martin Weber

James H Wise

John L Himes, Jr

James S Hower

Douglas J Pirc

A power distribution system includes a power outlet for connection to different power supply circuits in a power block when assembled thereto. The system includes a power block having arrays of openings on the front and back faces which are vertically staggered.

Power distribution system for modular furniture unit

A power distribution system for prewiring a modular wall panel unit with electrical conductors. The system is installed in the wiring channel that extends along the bottom edge of the panel unit. The system includes a power block located at each of the opposite ends of the panel wiring channel. Each power block comprises a housing containing ten flat, vertically aligned bus bars that are each connected to a separate one of four line, four neutral, a safety ground and an isolated ground conductors of the power supply of the site at which the panel unit is installed. Each power block is capable of receiving, at the end thereof adjacent the end of the wiring channel, on either or both faces thereof, a connector for a jumper cable for connecting two similar power distribution systems in adjoining panel units. Each power block is also capable of receiving, on either or both faces thereof, a duplex outlet unit or a power-in connector for connecting the bus bars of the power block to the separate conductors of the site power supply. The duplex outlet units are of two types which may each be installed in a power block in two different orientations to connect the outlet unit to a selected pair of the four different pairs of line and neutral conductors of the system.

Power distribution for modular furniture units

A self-supporting contact for engaging a conductor combined with guard means for protecting both the contact and the conductor against accidental touch by a human hand. The contact is stamped from a flat strip of resilient, conductive material and has a rectangular body with a plurality, preferably four, spaced along and extending in parallel from one edge of the contact body. Each of the contact fingers is formed with a spring arch located near the end of the finger attached to the contact body. The apices of arches of the fingers are alternately directed above and below the plane of the contact body and the spring arches tension each of the contact fingers so as to bias the free ends of the fingers toward the plane of the contact body. The guard means for the contact comprises an insulating housing enclosing the contact body with portions of each of the contact fingers projecting to the exterior of the housing. The projecting portions of the fingers are enclosed by an insulating silo formed by two opposed shells. Each of the shells are of a corrugated form. One of the shells encloses those ones of the contact fingers having the spring arches directed above the plane of the contact body. The other of the shells encloses those ones of the contact fingers having the spring arches directed below the plane of the contact body. The guard means for the conductor to be engaged by the contact comprises an insulating housing enclosing the conductor. An opening in the conductor housing aligned with the conductor provides access to the conductor by the contact fingers. The opening has an outline which is complimentary to the outline of the periphery of the silo. The contact fingers and the silo are so dimensioned that no gap in the space enclosed by the opening is of sufficient width to permit entry by a human finger and contact of the conductor underlying the opening.

Low profile spring contact with protective guard means

A die set 20 for crimping an electrical connection of a contact terminal member to an electrical conductor comprises two hermaphroditic members 22, 22'. The die members 22, 22' are positioned in opposing relationship along a crimping axis and are reciprocally movable relative to each other along the axis. Each die member 22 has a base section 24 including an anvil 40 extending from the base section 24 and defining an essentially hemispheric concave crimping surface 42 having a selected desired radius. In operation, the anvils 40, 40' are opposed so that upon completion of the crimping portion of a stroke, a symmetrical essentially cylindrical recess 60 is defined having an axis orthogonal to the crimping axis. Each die member 22 further includes a bifurcated plate section 46 including edge surfaces 50 defining a slot 52 having an axis parallel to the cylindrical recess axis. A contact terminal member 80 having an outer diameter at least larger than the diameter of the cylindrical recess and having a wire portion 92 inserted therein, is crimped by placing the terminal member 80 between the opposing die members 22, 22' and parallel to the cylindrical recess axis. As the opposing die members 22, 22' are urged together, the edge surfaces 50, 50' of the respective plate sections 46, 46' initiate bulk deformation of side surfaces 85 of the terminal member 80, and the crimping surfaces of the anvils 40, 40' define a crimped electrical connection 96 cylindrical in shape and having a diameter equal to the cylindrical recess diameter.

Crimping die and crimped electrical connection therefrom

An outlet unit for installation in a power distribution system for modular wall panel units carrying four separate pairs of line and neutral conductors. The outlet unit includes a pair of line and neutral contacts, configured to receive two separate plugs for power cords, the line and neutral contacts of the unit being connected to respective first and second contacts that project through the rear face of the outlet unit. The four pairs of line and neutral conductors of the distribution system are contained in an insulating power block housing having openings aligned with each of the conductors therein to provide access to the conductors by the first and second contacts of the outlet unit. The openings of the housing of the distribution system are arranged in two symmetrical groups. The outlet unit has four insulating silos positioned on its rear face so as to enter openings of either the first group or the second group, depending on the orientation of the outlet unit when plugged into the outlet unit. The first and second contacts of the outlet unit may be installed in the outlet unit so as to project into one of two pairs of silos. If the outlet unit contacts are installed in the first pair of silos, the unit may be plugged into the power block in a first orientation to connect the outlet unit to a first one of the pairs of line and neutral conductors of the system, or it may be plugged into the power block with a second orientation to connect the outlet unit to connect the outlet unit to a second of the pairs of line and neutral conductors of the system. If the outlet unit contacts are installed in the second pair of silos, the outlet unit may be plugged into the power block in first or second orientations to connect the outlet unit to the third or fourth pair of line and neutral conductors of the system, respectively.

Plug-in outlet unit for modular furniture power distribution system

An electrical assembly (10) includes a female electrical terminal (12) having a first sleeve portion (13) provided with four longitudinally-extending inwardly-directed convex lobes (18), each of which has a substantial line contact along the length of a male pin (11) adapted to be slidably received within the first sleeve portion (13) of the female electrical terminal (12). The four lobes (18) are arranged in the pairs of lobes, including a first lobe pair (A) and a second lobe pair (B). The first lobe pair (A) is symmetrically disposed about a first longitudinal slot (16) in the first sleeve portion (13), and the second lobe pair (B) is substantially diametrically oppositely of the first lobe pair (A) and is substantially symmetrical about a diametrical axis (19) of the first sleeve portion (13) of the female electrical connector (12) which includes the first longitudinal slot (16) therein. The second sleeve (14) has an integral portion (20, 31) providing a stop for the pin (11). In one embodiment, the pin (11) is substantially-solid and provides a heat sink for the electrical assembly.

Growing community of inventors

Middletown, PA, United States of America

Jay L French